Hunter College MFA Playwrights Festival Will Include Five New Works in NYC
Staged readings of HANNAH, GRANTED, and more will be held at the Frederick Loewe Theater
This May, the Hunter College MFA Playwriting Program will present staged readings of five new plays in the 2026 MFA Playwrights Festival. These readings, which are the culmination of Hunter's rigorous two-year program, will all be held in the Frederick Loewe Theater at Hunter College (119 East 68th Street, New York).
Readings Lineup
HANNAH
By Nora Brigid Monahan
Directed by Will Davis
Thursday, May 7, 3pm
"AMERICA'S WORST GAY POWER COUPLE" || in awe of the death of the american empire
By J Xiang
Directed by Seth Bockley
Friday, May 8, 3pm
ON A SMALL STRIP OF LAND ON THE GREAT SOUTH BAY
By Kev Berry
Directed by Mike Donahue
Monday, May 11, 3pm
I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU...
By PJ O'Neal
Directed by Kareem Fahmy
Wednesday, May 13, 3pm
GRANTED
By Emmy Weissman
Directed by Hanna Yurfest
Friday, May 15, 3pm
Director of the Hunter College MFA Playwriting Program, Christine Scarfuto, said: "This cohort represents the very best of what our program strives to foster: voices that are fearless, intellectually rigorous, and deeply human. These five playwrights have spent the last two years pushing the boundaries of their craft, and the works in this festival are a testament to their growth and vision. We are incredibly proud to introduce these vital new plays to the New York theatre community."
Playwright Bios:
NORA BRIGID MONAHAN is, in no particular order, a playwright, performer, educator, arts advocate, Marxist, atheist, polyamorist, pansexual, transsexual, and mom.
J XIANG spawned from Stanford winery land & has retired from writing solely on cowboys. J tells stories on how the stories we tell kill us.
KEV BERRY is a New York-based playwright, performer, and public health worker who makes ambitious and audacious plays about the American working class, the Long Island bourgeois, and gay guys on Ninth Avenue.
PJ O'NEAL is a queer, Black writer of plays, songs, and food journalism from Cleveland, Ohio. He writes socio-political dramedies about queer, Black people and other marginalized folks.
EMMY WEISSMAN is a manic pixie playwright from New Jersey. She writes plays about (often feral) girls and women bursting through the seams of their lives filled with whimsy, absurdity, and magic.
Program Info:
The Hunter College MFA Playwriting Program is a highly-selective and rigorous two-year program located in the heart of New York City. Hunter MFA students study with award-winning dramatists including David Adjmi, Eboni Booth, Lisa D'Amour, Haruna Lee, and Anne Washburn in a program that offers intensive, hands-on writing workshops and fosters a collaborative, close-knit artistic community. With only five students in each cohort, the program ensures each playwright receives dedicated, personal attention. As part of the CUNY system, the Hunter College MFA Playwriting Program is noted for providing an exceptional and affordable education. Learn more here: https://theatre.hunter.cuny.edu/mfa
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